Some reflections of Xu Yuanchong’s translation of Xiang Yu’s last song

Here is the poem:

垓下歌

Xiang Yu’s last song

力拔山兮氣蓋世，

I could pull mountains down, oh! With main and might,

時(shí)不力兮騅不逝。

But my good fortune wanes, oh! My steed won’t fight.

騅不逝兮可奈何，

Whether my steed will fight, oh! I do not care.

虞兮虞兮奈若何！

What can I do with you, oh! My lady fair!

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Mr. Xu had proposed that the criterion for translation is having the beauty of meaning(painting) , rhythm(music) ?and also form(architecture). So I will introduce this poem in these three ways.

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The beauty of meaning

For the heading, I think it is both proper and easy for foreigners to understand. The war of Gaixia is the last war of Xiang Yu and he lost to Han Xin. Because of this, Xiang Yu killed him self on the bank of Wujiang. Of course, most of the foreigners don’t know Chinese history so much that they could comprehend what does Gaixia mean, so I think make Gaixia, the name of a place, more simple is necessary. Since the war of Gaixia has been the last war which Xiang Yu commanded, in my opinion, as the name of this poem, ‘Xiang Yu’s last song’?is perfect.

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Yu Ji was Xiang Yu’s wife and they loved each other deeply. In other words, Yu was Xiang’s goddess. To show their romantic story, translating Yu Ji into Xiang Yu’s lady fair is very suitable.

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Making the saddle horse into ‘steed’?is better than ‘horse’. Because the Chinese character ‘騅’?has the meaning of bravery and being good at fighting. I think ‘steed’?also stands for Xiang Yu himself.

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The beauty of rhythm

In this poem, there are many form words ‘兮’. It has the function to express feelings like heroicalness. Using ‘oh’?is appropriate not only for meaning but also for rhythm. Each single sentence has eleven syllables, this can make the poem sounds more beautiful and easy to read. The translation has the rhymes of /a?/ in the first three sentences?and?/e?/ in the last two lines.?These two rhymes sounds bright and powerful.

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The beauty of form

Nearly each sentence has 5 words before ‘oh’?and 4 ones after it. This makes the poem looks neat and skillful. Sometimes, to make the translation clear, people may make some small mistakes in grammar. But Mr. Xu’s translation is both clear and exact.?